Origin
Los Gatos, CA
Morning in Los Gatos on Sunday
Local time
11:06 AM
PDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Los Gatos, CA to Fremont, CA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
32m
Distance
26.3 mi
42 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 30m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Los Gatos, CA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Los Gatos to Fremont is 26.3 miles and takes about 32 minutes via I 880, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within California and the Pacific Coast region, offering a straightforward journey. It's primarily a highway-focused trip, making it ideal for a quick commute or a brief leg of a larger road trip. With a recommended single day for completion, you won't need to worry about overnight stays. Consider this an efficient way to connect two points in the Bay Area without significant detours.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 880 | 11.5 mi | 13m |
| CA 17 | 6.9 mi | 8m |
| Nimitz Freeway | 5.7 mi | 6m |
| Mowry Avenue | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Los Gatos-Saratoga Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 880
— 11.5 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Los Gatos, CA and Fremont, CA.
1
Start on this road
4 ft
·
0 sec
·
this road
Exit 20B
Toward CA 9: Los Gatos, Saratoga
2
Turn straight onto CA 9
197 ft
·
3 sec
·
Los Gatos-Saratoga Road
Use the straight lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward CA 17 South
4
Merge onto CA 17
21 ft
·
0 sec
·
CA 17
Toward CA 17
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 20A
Toward East Los Gatos
Use the right lane.
6
Turn straight onto CA 9
198 ft
·
3 sec
·
Los Gatos-Saratoga Road
Use the straight lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
Toward CA 17 North: San Jose
8
Merge onto CA 17
6.9 mi
·
8 min
·
CA 17
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Continue on I 880
12 mi
·
13 min
·
I 880
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto I 880
5.7 mi
·
6 min
·
Nimitz Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Exit 17
Toward Mowry Avenue, Central Fremont
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn right onto Mowry Avenue
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Mowry Avenue
Use the right lane.
13
Arrive at destination
Mowry Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 24.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CA 17
Merge onto CA 17 toward CA 17
Merge point - match speed before joining
Toward CA 17
8
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Take the exit toward East Los Gatos
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 20A
Toward East Los Gatos
5
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
CA 17
Merge onto CA 17
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
18.9 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
I 880 / Nimitz Freeway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 880 / Nimitz Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
24.6 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Take the exit toward Mowry Avenue, Central Fremont
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 17
Toward Mowry Avenue, Central Fremont
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.04 one way
$12.09 round trip
$5.84/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $6.02 | $6.23 | $12.46 |
| premium | $6.18 | $6.40 | $12.79 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.81 | $11.61 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.76 | $1.26 |
| Efficient EV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.30 | $1.05 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.5 | 0 | $3.68 | $1.68 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Fremont, CA
Morning in Fremont on Sunday
Local time
11:06 AM
PDT
Current temp
46°F
Partly Cloudy
N 1 to 6 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued April 17 at 7:10PM PDT until April 18 at 8:00AM PDT by NWS Eureka CA
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
24 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
32m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This route is predominantly a highway-focused drive, with 92% of the journey taking place on major freeways like I 880 and CA 17. You'll experience a consistent flow of traffic, especially along the Nimitz Freeway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 11.5 miles on I 880, so expect sustained highway speeds for a significant portion of the trip. This isn't a route for leisurely scenic cruising; it's designed for efficient travel between Los Gatos and Fremont.
92% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.5 mi on I 880.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 880 and CA 17. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near CA 17.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 26.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (CA 17): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 0.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (CA 17): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Los Gatos, CA
Full guide →Los Gatos is a town of 30,000 people (2019) in Santa Clara County, near San Jose, California in the foothills of the Santa Cruz mountains. Downtown Los Gatos has retained and restored many of its Victorian-era homes and commercial buildings.
Top landmarks
- • Kotani-en — Classical Japanese residence in Santa Clara County, California, United States
- • Los Gatos Historic Commercial District — designated U.S. Historic District area of the city of Los Gatos, California, USA...
- • New Museum Los Gatos — art, history museum in Los Gatos, California
Arriving in Fremont, CA
Full guide →Founded 1956
Fremont is a suburban city in the southern part of the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area; it is the 4th largest city in the Bay Area by population. Fremont is in the southern part of Alameda County, California, between Union City to the north, Sunol and the hills to the east, Milpitas and Santa Clara County to the south, and the San Francisco Bay to the west. The city of Newark, near the edge of the Bay, is surrounded by the city of Fremont. Fremont industry is not particularly large relative to other parts of the Bay Area, but neither is it a bedroom community. Many people in Fremont work locally in the electronics and high-tech industry, while many others commute to Silicon Valley or San Francisco locations for work.
Top landmarks
- • Mission San José — 18th-century Spanish mission in Fremont, California
- • Ardenwood Historic Farm — human settlement in California, United States of America
- • Niles Depot Museum — railway museum in Niles, California
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 32m. Total distance: 26.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.5 miles on I 880. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Fremont, CA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (CA 17): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 0.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (CA 17): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Fremont, CA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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